X windows on the world-designing a CBL tutorial environment

The paper describes a system which uses an X Windows environment to provide computer-based learning. The system can provide tuition to and assessment for small groups of students. Hence it overcomes some of the problems associated with the provision of small group tuition and the marking of assignments. In addition to relieving tutors from some of their duties we explain how we have taken advantage of the opportunity computer based learning provides to improve the quality of teaching. In highly technical subjects computer based tools are available which can be used by the students during problem solving sessions. Simple authoring systems do not provide access to such tools. Here we report upon more sophisticated authoring systems which permit the tutorial to concurrently access tools running in other windows. The evaluation techniques used to determine the effectiveness and student reaction to this style of computer based learning are discussed